Learning from children
If someone asks me what’s your experience with children, having gone to many schools and interacting with them, I will reply, “ They are so sweet, always living in the present, bubbling with energy, spontaneous, not at all calculative, and of course innocent. And because of all that, one just loves to be with them.”
I remember a boy from 2nd class in one school. My association with him was for just about 45mins. I was telling some stories to the children in the class, and before I left the class I just gave a pat to this boy. And believe me the 4 days that I stayed there this boy somehow used to find me out whenever he was free from the class. He just came and stood in front of me, just to exchange a word or get a pat from me.
In another school which I visited recently I asked the students of 6th class, “What are the benefits of meditation?” Out came the reply from one boy, “Helps in managing the mind”, and another boy said, “Helps to get rid of fear”, and the third one said, “For peace of mind”.
Don’t be surprised. I think it’s time we adults started learning from children.
– Yogamrita
Children are unpredictable.
I have a daughter who is in 2nd standard studying in Chennai in a good school. one day she told me amma, last week my English teacher asked this question to all the kids in the class. What will you do when you grow up if you have lots of money? It seems she told the teacher that she will build houses for homeless poor people. Also, she was angry with some of her friends reply like buy a new car, buy a new dress. She kept on saying that how can they be selfish like this, buying things just for themselves. I just listened to her and felt very happy. We guide our kids in their studies, we teach them all good manners etc. etc. but I never guided or discussed anything like this to her. We don’t discuss anything like this with a 6 year old one. This simple thing shows there is a thing called poorva janma vasana.
Thats why it is said ‘The child is the father of man’. We can learn from children all the qualities which Amma wants us to cultivate in us.
TRULY SAID!
actually there’s no wonder in Amma telling so many times, ‘Be like a child,always’, ‘God is like a child’
and I’ve read in one book, mahatmas always like to be in company of little ones because they ressemble ‘themselves’ and have no ‘masks’.
We can see this directly in Amma’s presence !
I always get emotional reading posts here on Amritapuri page and end up crying…it’s true …like children we patiently wait for that touch, that sign..of Love.